


Butterfly Kisses

by HexalianRebel_FeatheredPanda



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Brotherly Affection, Gen, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:53:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26066791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HexalianRebel_FeatheredPanda/pseuds/HexalianRebel_FeatheredPanda
Summary: Something had grazed the back of his neck, leaving a dull little scrape surrounded by a fluttering sensation that shot through his nerves like Zeus’s wrath.
Kudos: 54





	Butterfly Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> Panda's Notes: Oops, I got a new fandom. >w<

Zagreus was finding that he had quite the love-hate-mostly-hate kind of relationship with the realm of Elysium. Between the regenerating soldiers of varying weapon disciplines and the constant sense of dread that crept up his shoulder at the knowledge he had yet to so much as meet the foe guarding this realm, let alone surpass them, he found that he just couldn’t find a sense of calm in this place.

And then there were the Soul Catchers. By Gods, just the thought of them stirred his ire.

Here he was again though, standing up on the vantage point near Lethe’s edge looking out to Elysium. He narrowed his eyes, a futile attempt to perhaps guess which chambers and enemies could await him. Content with meeting his quota for stalling, he shouldered past the lingering shades toward the first gate, drawing Varatha from its place between realities as he entered the first chamber.

…..

Zagreus nearly keeled over as he passed through another of Elysium’s gates. He didn’t dare admit to himself that he’d lost count in all the chaos; he just wanted to focus on forward. As usual, it started off silent as he crept about unnoticed. He heard the telltale rattle of Chariots’ wheels, calling his spear again as he prepared to dash around the—

“Hrk—!!” Something had grazed the back of his neck, leaving a dull little scrape surrounded by a fluttering sensation that shot through his nerves like Zeus’s wrath.

“Butterflies…” He hissed to himself as he realized the Chariots had been alerted by his outburst.

He fell to one knee once the room felt clear, but he didn’t dare let his guard down. He could just barely see the aura of pink casting from somewhere in the corner, not to mention the fact he still hadn’t found the original Soul Catcher that had caught him off guard initially. He’d already defied death long before this chamber, and he’d be damned if this was the room that felled him. He took a deep breath and turned a corner, his breath catching in his chest as he saw a veritable sea of the wretched soul scraps fluttering aimlessly in his general direction.

He wondered how long he’d been catching his breath. He also wondered if it’d be a less embarrassing return to just run his spear through his own throat.

Varatha cleaved through the horde as he made a rush for that corner, and through the blessed lens of hindsight, he had a feeling that would be the first on his list of mistakes.

He panted softly as he stopped beside the Soul Catcher itself, winding his spear up over his head to charge a stronger attack. He cringed slightly as the butterflies began to crowd him again, releasing the Spin Attack just as another one attempted to settle on his neck. The orb shattered, and the faint whispers of souls vanished. Now to find that other—

Zagreus felt the air shift. Something else had appeared. He didn’t hear anything just yet, and in his frantic look around, he spotted the Soul Catcher that had been menacing him, along with the line of butterflies it was casting toward him. He narrowed his eyes, stepping back as he lined up his targets.

“Ares, give me strength.” He said to himself, planting his feet and leaning into a full-bodied spear throw. The butterflies vanished as Varatha tore through them, and the spear stuck deep into the pink orb. Ares’ blessing gave a second sting, but the orb remained, continuing to spawn the terrible things. He raised his hand to call the spear back.

Ah, there was the second. Or, wait… By Gods, was that the fourth by now?

His hand stayed over his head for what couldn’t have been more than a fraction of a second. He’d felt a touch. A brush? No, definitely a damned flutter.

“No…” He groaned internally, not even halfway through the thought before there were more. The little scrapes as they struck his skin were like the nicks from mishandled parchment, but the sensation afterward was what he couldn’t stand. A sort of pulse, like little insects’ legs crawling on him after each hit. It was distracting at best, and at worst…

Gods, there were too many of them. Why couldn’t they just kill him faster?!

They were surrounding his legs, the bastards, his pant legs offering absolutely no buffer to their impact. His knees buckled as the fluttering sensation began to override the initial stings, and suddenly, there was no escape.

They landed on his shoulders and along his back, and he pulled his arms in to hide his face as his lips pulled and stifled noises tried to escape him.

No. Not this time, damn you. He could feel Death reaching for him; he just needed a few—He was already laughing, wasn’t he?

Zagreus felt his shoulders shaking as laughter spilled out of his mouth, his eyes shut tight as the longest seconds in his life began once again. He wasn’t entirely unconvinced that Thanatos wasn’t somehow to blame for his drawn-out suffering. When they touched his ears, he wanted to tear his hair out; he didn’t even want his mind to describe the childish giggles that rattled him. Or worse yet, the way an unplanned bout of writhing gave them access to his stomach. The laughter he was attempting to deny was forcing its way out; the creeping feeling of nostalgia somewhere in his mind that he constantly tried to smother was making its way out as well.

He tried for one final push, reaching his hand out to call Varatha. Instead, he felt the weight of phantoms; his brother was straddling his waist and gripping his wrist, his ever-teasing voice crooning taunts as he drew pictures on Zagreus’s palm with his quill. Those had better not be tears he feels in his eyes. Not when helpless cackles were going to be his death knell.

**_There is no escape…_ **

Zagreus emerged from the pool with quite a heavy fatigue, running his fingers through his hair as he walked through the surprisingly quiet corridor. Hypnos was falling asleep over his parchment, but when he noticed Zagreus, he perked up instantly. He had hardly opened his mouth when Varatha was shoved dangerously close to his neck.

“If you so much as utter a syllable,” The prince snarled, his eyes blazing as he narrowed them sharply. “I’ll make sure you wake up somewhere much less pleasant than a pit of butterflies.”

“Zagreus.” Without glancing up from his parchments, Hades’ voice rumbled patiently.

The prince cringed, drawing a sharp breath at the scolding tone. He returned his spear to its spatial pocket, much to Hypnos’ sneering delight.

“Thank you.”

“Well, good to know you’d align the creatures that literally tickled you to death with the word ‘pleasant’.” Hypnos grinned toothily, sneaking a swipe of his feather across the back of Zagreus’s neck as he hovered behind him. “I’ll be sure to make a note of that.”

The prince’s breath hitched, and he turned to his brother with a stare that could wither souls. The smile on his lips diminished its effect a bit.

“I’m going to bed.” He growled, stalking away to his chambers amid a low chuckle from his father. He had a bit of incentive to stick around this time; Hypnos was surprisingly difficult to sneak up on.


End file.
